Mark Murphy Sings (3 Lps On 2 Cds) + Bonus Tracks

STEREO
DOUBLE CD
24 BIT
DIGITALLY REMASTERED
3 LPs + 8 single tracks on 2 CDs
During his early days, Mark Murphy elicited a mixed response from critics. Though all of them recognized his extraordinary skill in working through changes, his pre- cise sense of time, and his general musicianship, all charged him with affecta- tions of enunciation.
In 1960 Playing the Field came out. It would be Murphy s third and last album for Capitol, and although it included an excellent set of big band and trio arrangements by Bill Holman, it never reached popular audiences as the label intended, so recognition still eluded Murphy. His first real acceptance arrived a year later, when he signed with Riverside to record a set of standards and bop vocals named Rah It featured some fine scores written by Ernie Wilkins, and was promptly followed by the themed album That s How I Love the Blues!, skill- fully orchestrated by Al Cohn, with top-notch backing by groups featuring jazz heroes such as Clark Terry, Wynton Kelly, Al Cohn, Bill Evans, and Blue Mitchell. This set here is complemented by eight first-class tunes from rare Riverside sin- gles.
These recordings showcase Mark Murphy as the genuinely original performer he is, but they also displayed Murphy s penchant for trawling the entirety of the 20th century popular/jazz repertory for songs, ranging from the slightly overdone to the downright forgotten.